


Guardian Angel

by Likhoradka



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-30
Updated: 2013-04-30
Packaged: 2017-11-27 12:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/662230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Likhoradka/pseuds/Likhoradka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Dean are spies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another longer-than-it-was-supposed-to-be fill for a prompt. This time: ‘spies’ as prompted by maeleene on Tumblr. There will be more to this.

It was the dead of winter, and the narrow street was empty. From an alley next to an official looking building, emerged a young man. His clothing was nondescript; a simple, dark blue winter coat, jeans, combat boots, and a dark grey newsy cap. He pulled his hat down over his eyes as he looked up and down the road. He sighed in relief as he thrust his hands into his pockets and whistled nonchalantly.

‘Uh, Dean?’ a voice crackled over his earpiece.

Dean sagged. ‘Yeah?’ he quietly replied.

‘You’ve got company.’

Dean cringed as he heard footsteps quickly approaching from the alley. ‘Shit!’ He hurried to the next alleyway and ran down it. He cautiously peeked around the corner.  The new street was not empty, but there weren’t enough people for him to lose his pursuers. He kept an open eye as he walked out of the alley. He began heading in the direction of his rendezvous point, hoping his luck would hold out. A quick glance behind filled him with relief. No one was following him. He grinned to himself as he looked forward.

And immediately felt his stomach drop. A small group of guards had just rounded the corner ahead of him. What could he do? Would they recognize him? Did they suspect? He couldn’t start running. Not now. And simply turning around would draw too much attention. They were going to see him. He was going to get caught and tortured. Killed, if he was lucky.

His eyes darted around, looking for something he could use. He noticed a dark haired man heading in his direction. For a moment, Dean was struck by how attractive he found the man. It was a shame he wouldn’t be able to hit him up for a drink. His mind formed a plan. A pretty stupid plan, but a plan nonetheless. He had seen it done a hundred times in the movies and on TV. It probably wouldn’t work, but at least he’d get to go down kissing a sexy stranger.

Dean opened his arms wide and grinned at the man in the tan over coat. ‘Liebling!’ he happily greeted.

The man looked up at Dean, clearly alarmed.

Dean’s breath caught at the sight of bright, blue eyes. He grabbed the man by the shoulders and pushed him up against a building. Before the man could object, Dean pressed forward and kissed him. He felt the man stiffen then slowly relax. He teased at the man’s lips with his tongue, eventually coaxing them open. He ran his hands through dark hair, pulling a soft moan from his hostage. He lightly nipped at the man’s tongue as it darted into his mouth.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. Dean clenched his eyes shut. Well, it was fun while it lasted. He sighed and looked over his shoulder. He shrank at the glare he received from the guard.

His Czech wasn’t the best, but he got the gist: ‘Knock it off.’

He grinned sheepishly at the guard and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. ‘Promiňte…’

He sighed in relief as the guard left, following after the rest. He turned back to the man he had cornered, taking in the shocked stare and brightly blushing cheeks. ‘Sorry about that,’ he apologized. He leaned back in a stole another kiss. ‘And thanks.’

With that, he jogged off. After a few blocks, a small car pulled up beside him. He looked over and grinned at the driver, who was much too tall for the tiny car. ‘Heya, Sammy!’

Sam glowered up at Dean. ‘Did you get it?’ he asked.

Dean rolled his eyes as he got into the passenger seat. ‘Yeah, yeah. I got the file,’ he replied. He pulled a flashdrive from his pocket and waved it at Sam. ‘No thanks to you.’

Sam frowned and pulled the car into traffic. ‘I gave you a specific route,’ he said. ‘It’s not _my_ fault you can’t follow directions.’

Dean clicked his tongue as he pulled out his earpiece. ‘It’s not _my_ fault they changed the guards’ rotation!’ he shot back.

Sam shook his head. ‘Let’s just get the damn thing to Bobby.’

Dean nodded in agreement as he looked out the window. He regretted not getting his kissing buddy’s phone number. Not that it mattered. He and Sam would be out of the country by nightfall.


	2. Chapter 2

A month had passed since Dean’s close call. Now, the two brothers were on assignment in Italy. It was a simple assignment: meet up with their contact and get the unpublicized blueprints on their next target.

Dean sat on the cushions lining the bay window of his hotel room. The window looked out on a small market square. They had another five hours to wait until their appointed meeting, so Dean was entertaining himself by watching the people pass by under his window.

He had already decided the plump girl tending the stall with the baked goods was destined to marry the fish monger’s son. His eyes drifted over the crowd in front of a stall full of fresh produce, settling on a young girl struggling to carry several bags. He winced as she lost her grip, and the bags and their contents fell to the ground.

He felt bad for the girl as she hurried to collect everything before the crowd around her could trample her food. And then a man in a tan overcoat stooped down and helped her. Dean frowned as he stared at the man. Dark hair, dark suit, tan coat… Was it the same man he had kissed nearly a month ago?

Dean kept his eye on the man as he stumbled over to his bag, tripping over the coffee table in the process. He pulled out a set of binoculars and rushed back to his perch. For a moment, he thought he had lost the man, but quickly found him again, speaking to the plump baker girl. Looking through the binoculars, he could only see the back of the man’s head.

‘Turn around, dammit!’ Dean shouted in frustration. His breath caught as the man did turn around, a soft smile on his face as he handed a small pastry to the young girl he had helped.

Dean could just make out blue eyes, and he grinned to himself. It was the same person! His smile fell as he actually thought about it. He slumped back and rested the binoculars on his knee. So what? Some hot European guy runs around Europe. So what if Dean had kissed the mystery man? So what if he had kissed back? The most Dean could ever hope for would be a drink and a one night stand. Not the worst outcome, to be sure.

But…with his track record, he couldn’t really afford to have flings. Or any sort of a real relationship. They always ended up being spies themselves, kidnapped, or worse, killed. His last girlfriend had ended up in the witness protection program.

He sighed as he watched the man leave the market. He really hoped the man wasn’t another spy. He was sick of all the pretty eye candy rival and enemy organizations sent his way.

 

 

.-.-.-.-.

For once, everything went off without a hitch. Sam was already pouring over the blueprints, and Dean had found a nightclub to party in. Dean had no recollection of how he made it back to his hotel room, so he deemed it a good night.

In the morning, they were on their way to Spain. They would be meeting up with one of their own. Dean flipped through the images and information on his phone. He grinned as he recognized the other agent.

‘Hey! We’re teamin’ up with Jo! Cool,’ Dean said with a smile.

Sam nodded in agreement. ‘You’re going in as a married couple to scope out the bank.’

‘Check out the security, anything not listed on the blueprints… Yeah, Sammy, I know how to scope out a place,’ Dean replied in annoyance. ‘You don’t need to remind me every single fucking time.’

Sam rolled his eyes with a huff. ‘Maybe if you did your job right, I wouldn’t have to remind you.’

‘Maybe if you did _your_ job right, I wouldn’t have to improvise,’ Dean snipped back.

Sam stared ahead as his grip on the steering wheel tightened. He refused to be baited by Dean. Again.

 

 

.-.-.-.-.

Dean left the bank with a pretty blonde. He stretched his arms behind himself as he grinned to his partner. ‘You should wear that top more often, Jo,’ he said. ‘Great distraction.’

Jo lightly punched Dean in the arm. ‘Shut up!’ She looped her arm through his and leaned her head on his shoulder as they descended the steps. ‘You set everything up all right?’

Dean nodded as his eyes swept over the street. Across the street, sat a man in tan overcoat, reading the local paper. Dean stopped in his tracks and stared. His breath caught as he recognized the man. ‘What the fuck,’ he whispered.

‘Dean?’ Jo gave Dean a little shake.

Dean quickly glanced to Jo and back at the man, but he was gone. He cast his gaze around, but found no trace of the man. Had he imagined it?

‘Hey! Are you okay?’ Jo asked in a hushed tone. ‘You look like you’ve seen a ghost.’

Dean slowly shook his head. ‘No…I… I’m good. Just thought I saw someone I knew.’ He gave Jo a reassuring smile. ‘It’s nothing. Really. Looked like someone I dated in high school,’ he lied effortlessly.

 

 

.-.-.-.-.

Dean was seeing the blue-eyed man everywhere. Now that he was actually looking, he always caught a glimpse of the man in the background. He always wore the same suit and coat, so Dean didn’t even have to _try_ to recognize him. He just jumped right out.

Dean was beginning to wonder if he was going crazy or if the man was a ghost. But that wasn’t possible. He had to be a spy. Probably some rookie sent to follow him and Sam on their missions. But, every time Dean went to confront the man, he was never there. Eye contact was never made, so Dean couldn’t send him any threatening gestures. Or obscene ones. The more he saw the man on the streets, the more Dean saw of him in his dreams. It was getting ridiculous.

 

 

.-.-.-.-.

Dean stared at his reflection in the mirror and wondered if he would catch sight of his mystery man that night. He adjusted his cufflinks and momentarily wished _he_ could sit in the van while _Sam_ shmoozed with their target. Getting a bug on the drug lord wouldn’t be a problem, it would be coming up with an excuse to get away from her. And what if she took to him? Ms. Skrims was known for liking the younger men. Dean shuddered at the thought.

He voiced his concerns to Sam on their way to the museum gala. Sam assured Dean that he had an exit strategy worked out. All Dean had to do was give a key phrase.

Dean sighed heavily as Sam dropped him off a little ways from the museum entrance. He was not looking forward to that night.

He got in with no problem. No weapons to sneak in. Just a bug hidden within his watch, and a small earpiece that went undetected. The moment he was in the main hall, he began seeking out his target, which was a lot easier than he thought it would be. _She_ found him. An older woman of around fifty, but she looked at least sixty—probably from sampling the goods, Dean thought to himself. She reeked of a floral perfume and wore heavy makeup. Dean noted how it looked like she had bleached her hair that morning.

Dean had smiled charmingly and offered his hand as he asked her to dance. Having to hold Ms. Skrims so close made Dean wished he never had to smell anything ever again. At least it made his job of planting the bug easier. He reached up and touched one of her earrings, saying how lovely they were and how well they framed her face. The small bug stuck to the earring and Dean smiled to himself.

The dance ended and he escorted her off the dance floor. He thought that would be the end of it, but she insisted on sharing a drink, signaling to one of her bodyguards. Dean groaned internally, but put on a brave face and conversed with her.

His eyes drifted across the crowd as Ms. Skrims went on about her mansion and the young men that worked for her. He could hear Sam in his ear, commenting on how Dean should accept the woman’s offer for a position. It would certainly make it easier to infiltrate her home and get more information.

Dean ignored his brother’s voice and was about to signal him for his out when someone caught his eye. There, in a far corner, was the man in the tan overcoat. Dean almost didn’t recognize him. He was in a tuxedo and looked very sharp. Even the post-sex hair was tamed.

Dean swallowed as his eyes traveled over his dreams’ obsession. He turned his attention back to Ms. Skrims. ‘I’m so sorry, Ms. Skrims, but I believe I just located my husband!’ he said. He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. ‘It was a pleasure meeting you while I waited.’

Ms. Skrims brought her other hand to her mouth and blinked rapidly at the new information. ‘Oh! Oh, yes. That explains so much!’ She smiled as she leered at Dean. ‘Your husband is a lucky man… Will you introduce us?’

Dean was very proud at himself for keeping his panic from showing. Even Sam was asking what he was doing. He escorted Ms. Skrims towards the man. He was going to get himself killed. He just knew it.

‘Liebling!’ he greeted, stopping a few feet away. Shocked blue eyes looked up to meet his. ‘Liebling, this is Scarlet Skrims, one of the most beautiful and interesting women here,’ he said.

Ms. Skrims held her hand out to the confused man. ‘Your husband is quite the dancer. I’m sorry I kept him from you for so long.’

Dean held his breath as the man just stared at the offered hand. His smile was frozen, and he was certain his unease was beginning to show. Blue eyes flicked over to his and back to Ms. Skrims.

‘It is quite all right,’ he said, taking Ms. Skrims’ hand and placing a delicate kiss on her gloved hand. ‘I must thank you for keeping him entertained. My sister has not been well, and I lose track of time quite easily.’

‘Quite understandable…?’

‘Jimmy.’

‘Jimmy.’ Ms. Skrims’ eyes took in Jimmy and drifted over to Dean. ‘I can’t help but notice that neither of you are wearing wedding rings.’

Dean could have sworn his heart stopped. Ms. Skrims was a lot smarter than he gave her credit for. Then again, she was a drug lord that had evaded the law for well over half her life.

Jimmy looked down, shifting in embarrassment. ‘I…I like being called his husband,’ he quietly replied. ‘Where we live…same-sex marriage has not been legalized…yet.’ He looked back up at Ms. Skrims, his eyes shining with hope.

Dean was flabbergasted. Spy. Definitely another spy. Fuck. His mind was too busy repeating the words that he missed Ms. Skrims’s apology. He snapped back to reality and sidled up to Jimmy. ‘I hope you don’t mind,’ he said to Ms. Skrims, ‘but I’d really like to share a dance with Jimmy right now.’

Ms. Skrims nodded and excused herself, setting her sights on the next pretty, young thing that crossed her path.

Dean pulled Jimmy onto the dance floor, only meeting a small amount of resistance. He faced the other man and pulled him in close, earning a small gasp. As much as he wanted to see what other sounds Jimmy could make, he had other priorities. He dropped his smile and glared at Jimmy. ‘Why the fuck are you following me?’ he growled.


	3. Chapter 3

Dean narrowed his eyes as Jimmy tried to pull away. ‘Don’t you be drawing attention to us,’ he warned.

Jimmy’s eyes darted around, looking for a way out.

‘Well, _Jimmy_? Why’re you following me?’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Jimmy replied.

Dean leaned forward so that his lips brushed against Jimmy’s ear. ‘Prague, Rome, Venice, Vienna, Dublin, Chicago, Berlin, Pisa… Need I go on?’ He grinned as Jimmy shivered.

‘I-it’s not what you think,’ Jimmy insisted. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He needed to keep his head about him and not let Dean distract him. Even if he hadn’t been trained nor briefed on his current situation, he would not fail. He was better than that.

‘So, you just _happened_ to be in all those places at the same time as me?’ Dean asked. His tongue darted out and lightly grazed Jimmy’s earlobe.

Jimmy bit off a moan and gripped Dean tighter. ‘I… Please, don’t worry about it,’ he said softly, letting Dean guide him across the dance floor. He had been trained for physical torture, but not _this_ sort of physical torture. His breath caught when he felt himself being pushed against a wall. He looked around and realized Dean had hidden them in a dark corner.

‘What are you after?’ Dean asked as he brought his arm up and pressed it against Jimmy’s throat.

‘Nothing!’ Jimmy hissed as he tried to push Dean’s arm away.

‘Then why are you following me?! Who sent you?’ He pressed harder, making Jimmy cough, then let up. ‘Answer me,’ he growled.

Jimmy clenched his eyes shut and shook his head. ‘Just leave it.’ His eyes flew open, and he gasped when Dean’s arm shifted. He groaned as Dean cupped his cheek and kissed him gently. As nice as the kiss felt, he would rather be choked. At least he knew how to deal with being choked. He reached up to run his hand through Dean’s hair.

Dean had originally started kissing Jimmy because he could hear someone approaching, but, now, with Jimmy’s hand in his hair and Jimmy’s tongue lightly stroking his lips… He ground his hips against Jimmy’s and nipped at the other spy’s tongue. ‘What’s your name?’ he asked as he placed kisses along Jimmy’s jaw.

‘J-Jimmy…’

‘What’s your _real_ name?’ he said and began sucking on Jimmy’s neck.

‘You don’t—oh! You don’t need to…to know.’

Dean kissed the dark mark he had just made and smiled at his handiwork. ‘I think I _do_ need to know… I mean, I’d like to know what name I should be shouting when I think of you later.’

Jimmy blushed bright red and blinked rapidly. ‘C—no! It’s not… I have to go!’

Dean grabbed Jimmy’s wrists and held them against the wall. ‘Not ‘til I get some answers.’

Jimmy tilted his head minutely and gave Dean an apologetic frown.

Dean’s brows furrowed in confusion, then he curled over in pain. He didn’t even see the other spy move. One moment he was fine, the next, his knee hurt like a bitch, and he was gasping for air, clutching his stomach. He still had one hand on Jimmy’s sleeve and refused to let go. He squinted up at Jimmy to find him staring down at him with a sad look.

‘Please let go.’

‘No!’

Jimmy sighed as he moved to pull Dean’s hand off of his sleeve. He had to quickly twist away as Dean’s fist nearly connected with his jaw. He ducked as Dean tugged on him and tried to land another punch. He spun and pulled harshly, managing to free himself from Dean’s grasp, and hurried away.

Dean stumbled and caught himself on the wall. He hit the wall in frustration. He breathed raggedly, ignoring Sam’s frantic questions in his ear. He clenched his fists tightly, knowing that he probably wouldn’t catch sight of Jimmy again. He stilled and stared ahead. In his fist, he could feel a small metal object. He brought his hand up and slowly opened it, revealing a silver cufflink. He turned it over, examining it. It had a pair of wings engraved on it. It may not be much, but…it was a lead.

.-.-.-.-.

When Sam and Dean returned to headquarters, Dean made a beeline to his case officer. ‘Hey, Bobby! I need your help on this!’ he said as he burst into Bobby’s office.

Bobby looked up from his computer, frowning. ‘I’m busy.’

‘Playing Solitaire, I’m sure,’ Dean replied as he settled into the chair across from Bobby. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver cufflink. He gave it a quick glance before tossing it across the desk. ‘I need to find out where this came from.’

Bobby sighed as he picked up the cufflink and examined it. He looked up sharply at Dean. ‘Where did you get this?!’ he demanded.

Dean shrank back in surprise. ‘I got it off some guy that’s been followin’ me.’

‘And you’re still _alive_?!’

‘What? Wait, what are you talking about?’

Bobby huffed as he leaned back in his chair. ‘See these wings? That’s Angel Corp’s insignia. They label all their shit with it.’

Dean let out a laugh as he took the cufflink back. ‘Good one, Bobby. But, I already know Angel Corp’s not real.’ He looked back up at Bobby’s grave expression. ‘They aren’t, right?’

Bobby clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them. ‘They’re real, all right. Take in orphans and train ‘em up to be killers.’

‘How’s that any different from me an’ Sam? And Jo?’

‘You kids may have grown up around this shit, but you didn’t have to join up,’ Bobby replied. ‘They…they’re selected. They get their first mission around the age of ten. Not anything easy like surveillance… Straight up assassination.’

Dean stared at Bobby with his mouth hanging open. ‘What the fuck? They sends _kids_ out?!’

Bobby nodded and glanced down at the cufflink in Dean’s hand. ‘Now, the question is…what do they want with you?’

‘They wanna recruit me?’ Dean offered. He had heard the horror stories. Failed protection gigs ruined by Angel Corp. He had thought Angel Corp was just what people blamed when they couldn’t do their job right. If all the stories were true, then what _did_ Angel Corp want with him?

‘If they wanted to recruit you, then they’d have grabbed you up the night your mom died.’

Dean sent Bobby a hard glare.

‘Sorry,’ Bobby apologized. ‘But it’s the truth. Besides, you would have been too old for their tastes anyway.’

‘How do you know so much about them?’ Dean asked.

‘I met one, once…,’ Bobby said softly. ‘Karen. Young, beautiful, practical. She was amazing. And she…she took a bullet for me.’

Dean looked away. ‘Sorry.’

Bobby shook his head. ‘She knew what she was doin’. We happened to get assigned to the same man. Me for surveillance, her for assassination. I got caught, and she pulled me out. Died in the process. One day later, the entire compound was demolished. No survivors. The target was gutted with his entrails stretched out like wings.’

Dean twisted the cufflink between his fingers. ‘Don’t like their own being messed with, huh?’ Dean commented. He could just imagine what sort of punishment he would receive for calling out Jimmy. ‘Do you…do you think I’m a target?’

‘Considerin’ you made it home all right? No,’ Bobby replied. ‘They’re not known for going after operatives.’

‘Then why’s he been following me? I’ve seen him in, like, ten different cities!’

Bobby frowned at Dean. ‘When did it start?’

‘Well…Prague’s when I first…saw him, then I noticed him in Rome,’ Dean replied. ‘At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, but then I saw him in Madrid right after.’

Bobby settled back in his chair and scratched at his beard. ‘Don’t know what to say… Maybe he has a crush on you,’ he said teasingly. ‘Bein’ raised in that kind of environment…does something to a kid. Gives ‘em weird obsessions.’

‘I’m his _hobby_?’ Dean wasn’t certain whether he preferred being under surveillance or being stalked.

Bobby shrugged in response. ‘Don’t let it get to you. You probably won’t see him again, anyway. And if they _are_ keepin’ an tabs on you, then they’ve probably assigned someone else by now.’

Dean nodded as he ran a nail over the engraved wings on the cufflink.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Light torture.

Bobby was right. Five months had passed, and Dean had seen neither hide nor hair of the mysterious Jimmy. And he had definitely been looking. He had set up surveillance equipment around whichever building he happened to be holed up in. He constantly checked the local CCTV footage for any trace of the man. Nothing.

He was obsessed. As Sam was quick to point out, Dean was getting distracted from the task at hand. He had brushed off Sam’s criticisms, but, now, he wished he had paid Sam’s warning a little more heed.

He groaned and tugged at the manacles that bit sharply into his wrists. He should have been paying more attention to his surroundings, not trying to catch a glimpse of someone that wasn’t there.

He was in the same room he had passed out in. Same stone walls, same steel door. Same metal chair in the corner, splotched with his blood. He forced himself to look up. The chain attached to his manacles was bolted to a high ceiling. He had enough slack that he could stand, but not enough to move around the room. Maybe he could climb the chain… Get it swinging. He had next to no energy left, but maybe…just maybe…he could get enough momentum going to at least take out one of his captors when they came through the door.

He took a shuddering breath and steadied his feet beneath him. He tried to put his weight on his legs, but a sharp pain ran up his left leg, reminding him of his broken ankle. He yelped and winced as his ankle gave out. The wounds on his wrists reopened from his short fall, and he struggled to put his weight onto his right foot. Everything hurt.

He knew he had at least a few broken and cracked ribs. He had more than enough cuts, burns, and bruises. A few broken fingers…a couple missing nails. Torture sucked. It had been four days, and no sign of rescue. He doubted Sam would just give up on him. Not without a body as proof. His brother had to be out there, somewhere… He could hold out a little longer.

A noise came from outside the door. Dread pooled in the pit of Dean’s stomach. His previous session had been ended relatively early due to a phone call. His torturer had promised to return to finish up his work on Dean’s nails then start in on his teeth.

Doing his best to control his breathing, Dean stood his ground as well as he could. He glared at the thin, middle-aged man that entered the room. If he somehow lived through this, Dean knew he would end up having nightmares about that sick smile and sadistic drawl. ‘Back for more, huh?’ he snarked. ‘Beginning to think you like me, Alastair!’

Alastair grinned as he slowly rolled up his sleeves. ‘Of course I like you, Dean,’ he calmly replied. ‘But I’ll like you even more once you break.’

Two more men entered the room, one wheeling in a small cart full of pristinely glittering tools. The other man pulled the heavy chair in the corner forward before moving to unchain Dean.

Dean kicked out with his bad foot once his hands were free. He ignored the pain as he lunged forward and attempted to take the man’s gun. His makeshift plan was cut short as a sharp pain dug into his side. He screamed as he fell to the floor, a small knife still protruding from his side. He gasped in pain as the knife was pulled free and a foot came down hard on his hand. Already broken bones ground against each other, and Dean couldn’t fight the tears that ran down his cheeks. He wasn’t aware of how or when he ended up in the chair. He winced as leather straps tightened against his skin.

Dean stiffened and tried to back away from a calloused hand that slowly caressed his cheek. The hand left and was replace by the cold sting of metal.

‘Stop fighting it, Dean,’ Alastair said as he gently wiped at Dean’s tears with the knife he held, leaving a trail of Dean’s blood in its wake. ‘Relax.’

Dean clenched his eyes shut as the knife traced a path down his jaw, along his neck, and finally rested over his clavicle. ‘Fuck off,’ he hissed. He bit back a grunt as the knife slowly pressed into his skin.

‘They’ll never find you,’ Alastair said conversationally as he pulled the knife away. He turned to the cart of tools and set the knife down. He picked up a set of pliers and turned back to face Dean. ‘You see, your sweet, little brother is looking in the wrong place. Wrong city. Wrong country. Wrong continent.’

Dean’s heart raced at the implications. Alastair had to be lying. There was no way that they would have been able to sneak him out of the country without Sam having some clue. He cringed as the pliers came into contact with the top of his hand. His breathing kicked up as they trailed down his fingers and rested over the nail of his ring finger. He looked straight ahead, refusing to watch.

‘We have another nosey agent in the next room,’ Alastair whispered. ‘You could end this right now. All you have to do is get him to talk. What do you say?’

‘No!’ Dean ground out through his teeth. He looked up at Alastair. ‘Do your worst,’ he said and spat at Alastair’s face.

Alastair leaned back and casually wiped the spit from his cheek. He clicked his tongue as he shook his head. ‘No, Dean. I intend to do my best,’ he replied. He brought his arm back and swung out, slamming the pliers against Dean’s jaw.

Dean cried out and blinked rapidly. As far as he could tell, the impact didn’t break his jaw. It certainly hurt like a bitch, but at least he’d still be able to eat a nice burger later. God, he was so hungry. His face scrunched in pain as a hand grasped his jaw and forced him to look up.

Suddenly, the pressure left his jaw. Gasping, he stared at his lap. He listened to the sounds around him in confusion. It sounded like a fight. He struggled to bring his head up, and his eyes widened at the sight before him.

The swift, clean movements of a well-trained killer danced before Dean’s eyes, wrapped up in a tan overcoat. One man already lay dead at Jimmy’s feet, blood seeping from a clean stab through the neck. A flash of silver, a strangled cry, and another body slumped to the floor.

Alastair stepped back, brandishing his pliers as a weapon. He eyed the intruder uncertainly. ‘And who might you be?’ he asked.

Jimmy adjusted his hold on his knife and tilted his head slightly. ‘An angel,’ he replied.

Alastair’s grip tightened, and his eyes flicked to the doorway. He had seen just what Angel Corp was capable of, and had done his best to stay out of their way. He edged his way behind Dean. ‘And what does Angel Corp want with me?’

‘Not you. Him,’ Jimmy replied, pointing his knife at Dean.

Dean’s heart sunk as he stared down the blade.

The corner of Alastair’s mouth twitched up into a half-grin. ‘Oh, then by all means. Have him. He’s yours,’ he said as he stepped back, keeping an eye on Jimmy. When Jimmy began to circle Dean, Alastair matched him, keeping Dean between them. Once the door was to his back, he raised his hands in a placating gesture. ‘Since you have no need of me, I’ll be leaving.’

Jimmy nodded, and Alastair felt a flood of relief.

Dean shook as he watched his torturer back away. It wasn’t fair. Why was _he_ the one that had to die? He noticed Alastair’s eyes go wide in fear and flinched as a knife hit the man square between the eyes. He breathed heavily as Alastair fell to the floor. Movement next to him made him look up, and he stared at Jimmy’s unreadable expression.

Jimmy sighed and reached into his pocket. ‘I’m sorry, Dean,’ he said softly.

‘W-what?! No! Please! C’mon, Jimmy!’ he begged. ‘I don’t… I don’t wanna die! Please, don’t! Please, please, please!’

Jimmy cocked his head to the side in confusion as Dean begged him repeatedly. He reached out and carefully cupped Dean’s cheek. ‘Everything will fine,’ he promised. ‘It’s over now.’

Dean closed his eyes and let the tears fall as he took what little comfort he could from the small contact. It was probably for the best. He was so tired. Tired of everything. Tired of the lies. Tired of the pain. Tired of his shitty life. He just wished he could have had a last meal. ‘Please,’ he whispered. ‘At least… before…before you… One kiss?’

It hurt, but Dean felt like he could die happy when Jimmy’s lips pressed gently against his own. He parted his lips to deepen the kiss, vaguely away of a sharp prick on his neck. Then all of his pain ended.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean felt _amazing_. He felt like a freshly packed BubbleYum. He let out a contented sigh. There was a rustling movement just to his right. Someone was calling his name. Was it Jimmy? He hoped it was Jimmy. He had trouble turning his head to the sounds. He reached out with his hand and smiled when it was lightly grasped. He forced his eyes opened.

Dean frowned as he processed who he was staring at. It wasn’t Jimmy. He let his disappointment show and pulled his hand away. ‘Go ‘way, Sam,’ he slurred.

Sam laughed in relief. He had received a text that morning from an unknown number with a picture of Dean in a hospital bed, the hospital name, and a room number. ‘You’re okay. God, I was so worried!’

‘God sent me ‘n angel,’ Dean said with a lazy smile. ‘Sexy angel. When I find him again… I’m gonna…gonna… We’re gonna play dress up.’

Sam stared down at Dean. ‘Uh…yeah… Whatever you say, Dean,’ he said as he straightened Dean’s blanket. He looked over when the door opened and a short, blond doctor walked in. He frowned at the lollipop sticking out of the doctor’s mouth. He glanced down at the nametag. _Gabriel Seksi, MD_.

‘Doctor…Seksi—‘

‘I _love_ Doctor Sexy!’ Dean happily proclaimed. He pushed himself onto his elbows and struggled to stay upright as he looked around the room. ‘Is it on? Where’s the TV?’

‘Gabriel’s good enough,’ Gabriel replied as he took the sucker from his mouth. ‘You haven’t earned TV privileges yet, so lie down.’ He looked up at Sam, grinning. ‘I get that a lot.’

Sam nodded uncertainly. Something wasn’t right about the doctor. ‘How long does he need to be here?’ he asked. He wondered if he would have to sneak Dean out or get the agency to set up a transfer.

Gabriel looked at his clipboard and replaced his sucker. ‘I can release him…Tuesday.’

Sam narrowed his eyes. ‘Tomorrow?’

Gabriel blinked up at Sam. ‘It’s Monday? Oh, uh…Friday? Friday’s good for me.’

Sam looked over as Dean giggled, tugging at his sleeve.

‘Hey! Hey, Sammy!’

‘Dean…’

‘Friday…I’m in love,’ Dean giggled at his failed attempt at a joke.

Sam gently patted Dean’s arm and smiled encouragingly. ‘That’s nice, Dean.’ He jumped when a poppy tune erupted and watched as Gabriel fumbled with a small phone.

‘Stop calling!’ Gabriel hissed into the phone. His eyes quickly flicked to Sam, and he turned away. ‘Everything’s copacetic. Really.’

Sam’s eyes widened at the winged emblem poking out from behind Gabriel’s fingers. It was the same design that was on the cufflink Dean had shown him. Anger boiled up inside him, and he stalked up to Gabriel.

Gabriel sighed in frustration as he hung up his phone. He gasped when a hand clasped tightly around his wrist. He looked up to find Sam glaring down at him.

‘What does Angel Corp want with Dean?’ Sam growled as he tightened his grip.

Gabriel smiled at Sam and tongued his lollipop from one side of his mouth to the other. He dropped his clipboard and punched Sam in stomach in one swift movement. Sam doubled over, and Gabriel pulled out his gun, pressing it against Sam’s head.

Sam slowly looked up. Gabriel was giving him an amused smile. He loosened his hold, and Gabriel pulled his wrist free.

‘Word of advice, Sam: Keep an eye on your idiot brother before he gets himself killed,’ Gabriel said.

Sam glared at Gabriel, breathing heavily. ‘What the fuck is going on?’ he ground out.

Gabriel appeared to consider the question. ‘Think of Angel Corp as…your guardian angel,’ he said. ‘You might not see us, but we’re always watching.’

Sam couldn’t help but blush at the insinuating tone Gabriel had used.

‘Now, then. Visiting hours are almost up,’ Gabriel pointed out as he leaned down and picked up his clipboard, not taking his gun off of Sam. He backed his way to the door and pocketed his gun. ‘Go home, Sam. Get some rest. Dean’ll be just fine here.’

‘I’m not leaving,’ Sam argued.

‘One way or another, you _will_ be leaving here tonight,’ Gabriel said. ‘You’ll sleep better if you’re not drugged up.’

Sam glared as Gabriel exited the room. An hour later, Dean had apparently drifted back to sleep after rambling on about monsters under the bed. Shortly after, a redheaded nurse entered to escort Sam out. When Sam argued, she held up a small syringe and stared at him. That was when Sam noticed the wings on the syringe. And the matching winged necklace the nurse wore. He left in an irritated huff.

.-.-.-.-.

Dean opened his eyes to find Jimmy silently standing next to his bed. ‘You came back,’ he whispered with a slight grin. He reached out and sighed when Jimmy took his hand.

‘I’m sorry, Dean,’ Jimmy apologized. ‘I tried to get to you sooner. I _should_ have gotten there sooner.’

Dean blinked slowly as he stared at Jimmy. ‘You’re ver’ pretty.’ His smile widened as Jimmy pulled at his tied. ‘Wouldn’t mind kissin’ you again.’

‘That would be a conflict of interest,’ Jimmy replied.

Dean pulled lightly at Jimmy and was thrilled when Jimmy let him pull him closer and down toward the bed. ‘Wha’s yer name?’

‘Ca—‘ Jimmy shook his head. He held his breath as Dean struggled up and lightly kissed his lips.

‘Please? Think I earned it,’ Dean said before falling back against the bed.

‘Ca…Castiel.’

‘Castiel…’ Dean hummed in appreciation. ‘That’s pretty.’

Castiel bit his lip and straightened. He turned to leave, but Dean’s hold tightened, and he soon found himself being pulled onto the bed. One hand rested behind his neck as an arm wrapped around his waist, holding him down. He stared down at Dean in shock. The drowsy look in Dean’s eyes was gone, replaced by wakeful clarity.

‘Did you really think I wouldn’t disconnect the fuckin’ pain meds?’ Dean asked.

‘You should be resting,’ Castiel said and tried to pull free without causing Dean harm.

‘There’s room enough on here for two,’ Dean offered.

‘No, there isn’t.’ Castiel frowned as Dean winced. ‘You’re hurting yourself.’

‘How’s about you kiss me where it hurts?’

‘I believe that would only case you more pain.’

Dean moved his hand and brushed his fingers over Castiel’s cheek. He winced as sharp stings traveled up his arm. He stared at his bandaged hand. He sighed in disappointment. His bandages could use a change. If his hand looked like a mangled mess, he could only assume what the rest of him looked like.

‘Yeah…nevermind… I get it,’ he said, looking away. He moved his arm, but couldn’t help glancing back up at Castiel. Tentatively, he reached forward again and let his hand hover just above Castiel’s cheek. He breathed in sharply as Castiel gently took his hand and pressed it against his skin. ‘Castiel… Cas…’

Castiel leaned forward and kissed Dean, careful not to disturb any stitches. He leaned back and ran his fingers through Dean’s hair. ‘You really need to rest,’ he said as he pulled out a syringe and uncapped it.

‘Will you still be here?’ Dean asked with a shaky voice, not taking his eyes off the syringe.

Castiel looked away. ‘I can’t make that promise,’ he replied before pressing the needle into Dean’s neck. He placed a final kiss on Dean’s lips as Dean passed out.


	6. Chapter 6

Castiel carefully untangled himself from Dean’s limp hold and got off the hospital bed. He readjusted the blankets with a soft sigh. Why did he come to check on Dean? Gabriel and Anna had the situation under control. He didn’t know Dean. Not personally.

He had been watching the young agent for well over three years. Never did he feel any sort of emotional attachment. Not until that first kiss. After Dean had pushed him against the building and kissed him, Castiel hadn’t been able to get Dean out of his head.

He didn’t normally remember his dreams, and, even then, his dreams consisted of tactical movements, assassinations…not people. He was waking up more and more often in a sweat and with a throbbing erection. It was irritating to say the least.

A cough pulled him from his thoughts, and he turned to find Gabriel leaning against the doorframe. ‘I wanted to make certain that he was going to be all right,’ he said.

Gabriel snorted as he pushed off the frame and sauntered forward. ‘And my telling you wasn’t enough?’

Castiel looked away at Gabriel’s disapproving stare. ‘He is my responsibility. I needed to see for myself,’ he replied.

Gabriel cocked his head to the side. ‘Do you need to be reassigned?’ he asked.

Castiel’s breath caught, and he looked down at Dean. ‘It…’ He swallowed and bit his lip. ‘It would probably be for the best.’

‘Look, Cas,’ Gabriel said as he stood next to Castiel, ‘I’m glad you, the fucking Ice Queen, are finally showing interest in another human being, but… The contract says ‘protect’ them, not fuck ‘em.’

Castiel eye twitched, and he nodded. ‘I understand,’ he said quietly.

Gabriel laughed and slapped Castiel on the back. ‘I’m joking! Go for it, you horny little shit.’

Castiel stared at Gabriel in confusion. ‘What?’

Gabriel rolled his eyes. ‘Nowhere in the contract does it say that Sam and Dean can’t know about us.’

‘But—‘

‘Doesn’t address relationships, either.’

‘Gabri—‘

‘No.’ Gabriel crossed his arms and glared up at Castiel. ‘The sooner I get you out of the safe house, the sooner I can get a good night’s sleep. Believe me. You wouldn’t be the first to sleep with their target,’ he said.

‘I’m not interested in sleeping with him!’ Castiel insisted.

Gabriel gave Castiel a doubtful look. ‘Cas, you _talk_ in your sleep. Usually it’s weird ass shit about cats and bees, but lately? “Dean, please, more” tends to be mantra now.’

Castiel blushed brightly. He had an extra syringe. Would he be able to overpower Gabriel?

Gabriel shook his finger. ‘Stop that! I know how your mind works.’ He grabbed Castiel by the shoulders and forced him into a chair sitting next to the hospital bed. ‘Now! You be a good little angel and keep an eye on him. If you try to leave, I’ll knock you out and tie you to this chair.’

Castiel glared up Gabriel.

.-.-.-.-.

Dean woke up slowly. He blinked blearily at the lights above him. He had a hard time recalling the previous night. Had he dreamt it? Did he dream up Castiel…Jimmy?

He pushed himself up and groaned as pain shot through his ribs.

‘You shouldn’t try to get up.’

Dean’s eyes widened, and he quickly looked to his right. ‘J-Jimmy! Er…Castiel…’ He stared at Castiel, not quite understanding what he was seeing. ‘Why are you tied to the chair?’

Castiel sighed and looked away in embarrassment. ‘I believe Gabriel thinks this is a game,’ he said wearily. ‘But, now that you’re awake…’ He stood up, letting the ropes fall to the floor.

‘You’re leaving?’ Dean asked. ‘Why?! What the fuck is going on?!’

‘Dean, it’s for the best,’ Castiel replied. ‘I…find you distracting.’

Dean smirked and motioned for Castiel to come closer. ‘Distracting is good.’

Castiel shook his head and kept his distance. ‘No, it’s not. I should have kept a better eye on you, but… I find myself watching _you_ , not what’s going on around you. It’s _my_ fault you fell into Alistair’s hands.’

Dean stiffened at the name. ‘That’s not your fault,’ he said haltingly. ‘I got myself caught. Wasn’t payin’ attention.’

Castiel stared at Dean. ‘You were looking for _me_. Neither of us can do our jobs correctly,’ he explained. ‘I’m going to be reassigned. Someone else will be keeping an eye on you from now on.’

‘Why?’ Dean asked. ‘Why do you guys need to keep an eye on me?’

Castiel thought for a moment. Gabriel was right. Nowhere in the contract did it say that Sam and Dean Winchester were not to know. ‘We were contracted to protect you and Sam,’ he replied.

‘ _Why_? Why us? What makes _us_ so special?’

‘All descendants of angels are guaranteed protection and vengeance. Your mother, Mary, was one of us.’

Dean’s jaw dropped. His _mother_ had been a _spy_?! He stared at his lap, trying to wrap his mind around the idea. His father had become a mercenary in his need to hunt down Mary’s killer. He never did find the man. ‘The…the man that killed my mom…’

‘Dead.’

Dean looked up, frowning. Castiel’s voice came from further away. He found Castiel standing next to the door, his hand resting on the handle. ‘So that’s it. You’re just gonna leave. Drop that fucking bombshell on me, then ditch?’

Castiel sighed and pulled his hand away from the door. ‘I’m sorry, Dean.’

‘Don’t be sorry! Just fucking stay for five God damn minutes and talk to me! Just…’ Dean gave a frustrated growl and clenched what fingers he could. He looked away, unwilling to let Castiel see how broken he really was. ‘Just talk to me…’

Castiel crossed the room and sat in chair next to Dean’s bed. ‘What do wish to talk about?’

Dean glanced over at Castiel. ‘How long? How long have you, specifically, been following me?’

‘Over three years.’

‘Three…’ Dean could have sworn his heart stopped. ‘Three years?’ he repeated, his voice wavering. ‘Did you follow me…everywhere.’ At Castiel’s nod, he felt his cheeks heat up. ‘I-including the Roadhouse?’

Castiel frowned at Dean’s train of thought. ‘Of course. I was assigned to you.’ His eyes narrowed and he tilted his head to the side. ‘You’re embarrassed.’

‘No shit!’ Dean exclaimed. ‘It’s not every day I find out my stalker watched me _strip_!’

Castiel’s expression showed his confusion. ‘Up until a few minutes ago, I was under the impression that you have been trying to seduce me.’

‘And _you’re_ the one that wants nothin’ to do with me!’ Dean gasped and lightly touched his side.

Castiel was by Dean’s side in an instant. ‘Do you want me to get a doctor?’

Dean looked up and gave Castiel a half-hearted glare. ‘No,’ he grumbled. ‘Okay. Fine. So you saw me do a couple of shitty strip teases. No big deal.’

‘Oh!’ Castiel said in realization. ‘I never saw you perform. There was no need.’

Dean felt conflicted. On one hand, Castiel hadn’t seen him strip. On the other…Castiel hadn’t seen him strip. ‘Huh.’

‘Dean?’

Dean picked at one of the bandages covering his wrist. He stared into Castiel’s eyes. So many of his nights were spent dreaming of those eyes. Seeing pupils dilated in lust and passion. He was so close to what he wanted, but he couldn’t help but remind himself that Castiel, and possibly countless others, had been tailing him and Sam ever since their mother had died. He liked it better when he had thought it was something new.

He probably should let Castiel walk out the door and out of his life. But…the man was a looker. And a pretty good kisser, too. A bit clumsy, but there was definitely potential. Dean thought back to all his past relationships. He lined up each fear he had with what Castiel could offer, and each was dispelled. Castiel could take care of himself, no problem. Dean had witnessed the proof with his own eyes. There would be no need for lies. No explanations for long ‘business trips’ or the scrapes and bruises he had a habit of acquiring. So far, the only downside Dean was coming up with was Castiel’s habit of stabbing him in the neck with tranquilizers. Heat settled in his groin at the thought of what sort of games they could get up to. A little hide-and-seek, some light drugging, then wake up tied up in bed.

‘Dean…’ Castiel rested his hand over Dean’s, keeping him from untightening the bandage any more. He didn’t shy away when Dean pulled his hand free and rested it behind his neck. His gaze darted between Dean’s eyes and mouth, and his heart beat faster in anticipation.

‘I think…you should quit your job,’ Dean said gruffly as he slowly guided Castiel closer. He was delighted when Castiel didn’t put up any resistance.

‘Why would I do that?’ Castiel asked, licking his lips. He could feel Dean’s breath ghost over his lips, and he was having trouble breathing normally.

‘So we can get to know each other better,’ Dean replied. He stuck his tongue out and lightly licked Castiel’s lips.

Castiel’s lips parted, and he wasn’t able to stop the small moan that escaped. ‘I…I have been given permission to…fraternize,’ he said, barely above a whisper. His mind momentarily panicked when Dean drew back. Was that all that Dean had wanted? The potential taboo? But that couldn’t be right. Not from what Dean had just said. His thoughts came to a grinding halt at the wicked grin Dean was giving him.

‘Then get over here and let’s _fraternize_ ,’ Dean all but growled. He surged forward and claimed Castiel’s lips with his own. Teeth clashed, and Dean angled his head to gain better access to Castiel’s mouth. He winced but didn’t stop when Castiel’s hand came to rest on his side, calloused fingers brushing against his skin.

Dean pushed himself up more and grabbed at Castiel’s coat, ignoring the throbbing pain jutting through his hands. He needed more. He wanted to feel more of Castiel. Wanted to feel his skin, explore his body with his teeth and tongue. He wanted to leave behind evidence of his exploration. He wanted—

Dean yelped and curled in on himself as his good foot rammed into his broken ankle in an effort to shift his position. He groaned as the movement only caused him more pain. He was vaguely aware of a concerned voice calling his name and gentle fingers running over his hair. He looked up and gave Castiel a pained smile. ‘I’m good,’ he said.

‘I’ll get a doctor,’ Castiel said and was already at the door by the time Dean was voicing a protest. He opened the door and quickly ducked behind it.

Dean watched curiously as a short man in a doctor’s coat entered the room, pulling a small dart gun from his pocket. He narrowed his eyes as he recognized the slicked-back blond hair. ‘You’re not a doctor!’

Gabriel turned and blinked at Dean in surprise. ‘Oh! You’re awake?’

‘This is not necessary, Gabriel,’ Castiel said from behind the door.

Gabriel clicked his tongue. ‘It is if you keep running away,’ he replied. ‘C’mon out, Ice Queen. Third time’s a charm, right?’

‘There’s no need,’ Castiel insisted.

‘Then where were you off to in such a hurry?’ Gabriel asked, poking the door with his gun.

‘Dean is in pain,’ Castiel explained.

Gabriel looked over at Dean. In his distraction, he missed Castiel coming out from behind the door. He doubled over when a fist connected with his stomach. He didn’t bother fighting to keep hold of the gun as Castiel wrenched it from his hand. He coughed as he grinned up at Castiel. ‘Cheater.’

‘My recovery time is not cheating.’ Castiel pointed the gun at Gabriel and tilted his head. ‘I _should_ tranq you, but you’re more useful awake. Painkillers. Now.’

Gabriel looked from Castiel to Dean as he straightened. ‘Fine. But Anna and Uriel are still on this floor.’

Castiel nodded. ‘I have no intention of leaving.’

Gabriel raised his chin as he assessed Castiel. ‘Really?’ he said, letting the doubt in his voice show. ‘Coulda fooled me earlier.’

‘Dean and I have…spoken on the matter and have reached an agreement.’

‘Agreement,’ Gabriel repeated and looked to Dean for confirmation.

‘What’s it to you?’ Dean growled.

Gabriel crossed his arms and frowned at Dean. His head tilted as he took in the little details. Mussed hair, swollen lips, blood seeping through the bandages on his hands, hospital gown bunched around his hips… He turned wide eyes to Castiel and looked over the man he thought of as a brother. There was a smudge of red on the lapel of Castiel’s over coat.

Castiel blushed and looked away with a self-conscious cough. ‘As I said…we reached an agreement.’

Gabriel raised a brow. ‘Out of curiosity…who made the first move?’

‘It does not concern you!’ Castiel growled and jabbed Gabriel in the chest with the small gun.

Gabriel grinned and stepped back. ‘Congrats, Dean-o! You’ve managed to melt the heart of the Ice Queen!’

‘Stop calling me that!’ Castiel shouted as he pulled the trigger.

Gabriel gasped and clutched at his chest. He reached up and grabbed Castiel’s tie as he sagged forward. ‘Fucking cheating Ice Queen,’ he muttered weakly as he slumped to the floor.

Castiel sighed as he stared down at Gabriel. He looked up when a gasp came from the open doorway and blinked at the gun pointed at his head.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s it! Was going to end it sooner, but figured I tag and epilogue-type-thing on the end. Don’t have personal experience with heavy duty pain meds, so I only know what mini-searches provided. Please forgive me if they don’t work like that. Thank you for reading this weird, little thing and sticking with me!

Castiel gave an unhappy sigh. ‘This isn’t what it looks like,’ he said simply.

Sam glared at the unknown man. The man was holding a gun, and Gabriel was on the floor. Gabriel, who was supposed to be protecting his brother. He noticed how the stranger shook his head very slightly, looking past his shoulder. Sam turned to see the nurse from the night before standing just behind him. She was holding up a very familiar looking syringe.

‘Who is it?’ Dean’s voice called out from within the room. ‘Did they bring drugs? I can’t laugh!’

Sam looked between the man and woman in confusion. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked, lowering his gun.

‘ _My_ orders are to keep Castiel in that room,’ the woman replied. ‘I don’t know what Castiel thinks _he_ is doing.’

‘As he said,’ Castiel replied, dropping the dart gun on to Gabriel’s body, ‘third time’s a charm.’

‘I think you’re using that phrase incorrectly.’

Castiel shrugged and turned away. ‘You’re no longer needed here, Anna.’

Anna looked down at Gabriel. ‘How long until he’s conscious?’

Castiel glanced down and frowned. ‘I…don’t know. If he upped the dosage, he could be unconscious for about ten hours.’ He shook his head and raised his gaze to Dean. ‘Bring some morphine and fentanyl.’

Anna nodded and left.

‘Asprin’s good, too!’ Dean called out.

Sam cautiously entered the room. His eyes flicked to Dean, and he sighed in relief at the sight of his brother. ‘You’re okay.’

Dean nodded, trying to give Sam a reassuring smile. ‘Okay enough.’

He hurried to Dean’s side and looked over the bandages, making irritated noises over the state of them. He tensed when the door clicked shut. ‘Dean, what is going on?!’ he asked in a hushed tone.

Dean patted Sam’s shoulder. ‘Long story short? That’s my stalker,’ he said, pointing at Castiel and receiving and scowl in return, ‘and we’re milking the benefits of Mom having been an agent with Angel Corp.’

Sam stared at Dean as he processed what was just said. ‘Mom… _What_?!’

Dean shrugged and gave Sam a sheepish grin. ‘That’s what he said.’

Sam turned to Castiel. ‘Our mother wasn’t a…a…’

‘A spy,’ Dean supplied.

Castiel shook his head. ‘Of course she wasn’t,’ he replied.

Dean pouted in disappointment. ‘What, was she an office drone?’

Sam sent Dean a dirty look. ‘Don’t you think Dad would have known? She didn’t work for Angel Corp. Maybe…maybe some subsidiary or something…’

‘Your mother was one of our best assassins.’

Both Dean and Sam turned to stare at Castiel in shock. ‘Mom was…but… She was so gentle,’ Dean said softly.

‘There is footage… I could look into getting it for you,’ Castiel offered.

Dean stared at his lap. As cool as it was that his mother had been a spy…finding out she was a cold-blooded killer shattered his perception of her. His shoulders shook as he shook his head. ‘N-no… Not…not right now.’

‘And what do _you_ specialize in?’ Sam asked.

Castiel kept quiet as he watched Dean.

‘Answer the question, Cas,’ Dean ground out, though from Castiel’s silence, he had a pretty good idea.

‘At present…protection.’

Dean’s eyes flicked up, and he glared at Castiel through his lashes. ‘Why would they send an _assassin_ on protection detail?’

Castiel shifted uncomfortably. ‘You…had a close call about four years ago, and…they needed someone that would be able to take out any and all threats.’

‘And that worked out just peachy, didn’t it?!’ Dean spat.

Castiel looked away. ‘I’ll… I told you it would be better if I left.’ He stooped down and gathered Gabriel into his arms.

Dean pushed Sam towards Castiel and gave him a pleading stare.

Sam’s lips thinned, and he nodded. In a few short steps, he was next to Castiel. He took Gabriel from Castiel’s arms and nodded his head in Dean’s direction.

Castiel looked between the two brothers. What was he supposed to do? Dean was angry with him, but he wanted him to stay? Slowly, he turned and made his way to Dean. He stayed just out of Dean’s reach and stared at Dean’s shoulder.

Dean frowned at Castiel. He cleared his throat, and when he failed to gain Castiel’s attention, he reached out, his fingertips barely grazing Castiel’s coat. He huffed in irritation. ‘Y’know, this’d be a lot easier if you’d at least look at me,’ he grumbled.

Castiel bit his lip and cautiously raised his eyes to meet Dean’s. He was aware of Sam shifting behind, settling Gabriel into the chair. He stared silently at Dean, not knowing what to say. He had never been in this sort of situation before.

‘Cas…’ Dean sighed and reached out for Castiel again. ‘Will you get over here?’

Castiel stepped forward and inhaled sharply when Dean gently took his hand. He glanced down and raised his eyes in confusion. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘What? Don’t understand what?’ Dean asked.

‘I…thought you didn’t want me around anymore,’ Castiel replied. ‘You seemed angry with me.’

‘What? I’m not—‘ Dean groaned in frustration. ‘Okay, I’m mad. I’m mad at both of us. You fucked up your job, and I fucked up looking out for myself. Why would I want you to leave?’

Castiel stared helplessly at Dean. ‘You seemed displeased that your mother was an assassin…and you…,’ he looked away and quieted his voice, ‘you were upset that I am one as well.’

‘Well, it’s a little weird finding out your mom’s a fucking killer,’ Dean said. ‘And then you… You’re one, too? Yeah, it’s nice you guys wanna send someone capable of protecting me and Sam, but…an _assassin_?! Isn’t that a little overkill?’

Castiel glanced back up and gave a shrug. ‘I just do what I’m told. I carry out my assignments to the best of my abilities.’

There was a soft knock on the door, and all eyes turned to see Anna enter the room. She silently made her way to Dean’s bedside and hooked up an IV drip. She then swabbed his arm then injected him with the fentanyl. As she pulled away, she picked up the IV tube. She twisted the tubing between her fingers while staring at Dean.

Dean glared up at the redhead. ‘What?’

‘It’s kind of hard to administer this when your hand’s over there,’ Anna replied. ‘I suppose I could always jam it in your neck.’

‘I don’t need it,’ Dean insisted. He could already feel the fentanyl kicking in. He yelped and stared at Castiel in betrayal. ‘I have a high pain threshold when people aren’t fucking poking me!’ He sighed and thrust out his arm. ‘Fine! Get it over with.’

Dean hated to admit it, but he could definitely use a break from the pain. And the longer it lasted, the better. He just didn’t like the loopiness that went with it. He watched as Anna found a vein and taped the needle down. He grunted in reply when she warned him not to move too much.

Anna gave Castiel and Gabriel one last look before leaving the room. She paused at the doorway. ‘The entire block is clean. Let us know when you believe he’s ready to move, and we’ll clear the way.’ At Castiel’s nod, she left, closing the door behind her.

Dean’s fingers loosened around Castiel’s hand, and he readjusted his grip. ‘Hey,’ he said, ‘while I’m still sober… I don’t want you to leave because of what you are. I just want you to be open with me. So…you up for a date later?’

Castiel quickly glanced over his shoulder at Sam then back at Dean. ‘I…I wasn’t trained for this,’ he admitted. ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.’

Dean giggled and tugged Castiel closer. ‘What, a date or flirting?’

‘Both,’ Castiel replied. ‘Although, the principle of flirting has been explained to me…I have never needed the skill.’

Sam let out laugh. ‘They train you on how to act?’

Castiel nodded as he looked at Sam. ‘We must be prepared for any and all situations.’ He stumbled forward as Dean tugged sharply. He caught himself on the edge of the bed and gave Dean a chastising frown.

Dean leaned forward and whined as Castiel leaned away. ‘I’m drugged up now… Let’s pick up where we left off.’

‘Dean, I’m right here,’ Sam pointed out.

Dean made a grab for Castiel’s tie and made a delighted giggle when he grasped it. ‘Then go keep watch in the hall,’ he growled as he yanked on the tie. He made a sloppy attempt at kissing Castiel’s mouth. He started to bring up his other hand, but found it being held down. He looked down at Castiel’s hand lightly holding his wrist in place.

Castiel gave Sam an exasperated look. ‘Could you search Gabriel for a pair of handcuffs?’ he asked.

‘Ooh, kinky,’ Dean giggled. He pouted when the warm hand was replaced by cold metal. With a ratcheting ‘click,’ Dean’s hand was cuffed to the side of his bed. He gave Castiel a doubtful look. ‘I _can_ pick a lock, you know.’

‘Not if you’re distracted,’ Castiel replied.

Dean perked up as his brother groaned. He pulled on Castiel’s tie again. ‘Then be distracting,’ he said huskily. Or, at least, he tried. It came out as more of a slur.

Castiel gently pried Dean’s fingers from his tie. He gave a light kiss to the bandaged fingers as he stared into Dean’s eyes and smiled softly.

Dean’s heart leapt into his throat, and he swallowed. He offered a lop-sided smile.

‘I promise to be very distracting later,’ Castiel said.

Disappointment filled Dean, and he leaned back against his pillow. His face scrunched up as he thought about what Castiel had said about flirting. ‘Were you trained for sex?’

Sam coughed, and Castiel rolled his eyes as he stood straight.

‘No, I was not _trained_ ,’ Castiel said with distaste. ‘I…’ He sighed uncomfortably. ‘I have seen enough videos to fully understand the concept.’

‘Pity… A sex-spy woulda made an awesome boyfriend.’

Castiel gave Sam a bewildered look, and Sam took pity on him. ‘Dean gets a little…off when he’s drunk or drugged. He’s confusing reality with porn.’

‘Gabriel has the same problem, although…he does not have the excuse of being drunk,’ Castiel replied as he glanced down at the agent in question.

‘Why’d ya’ shoot ‘im, anyway?’ Dean asked. He managed to pull Castiel down again and began entertaining himself by running his fingers through Castiel’s hair.

Castiel closed his eyes as he enjoyed the sensations he was feeling. ‘Gabriel had already shot me twice since last night… I feel that I am justified.’

‘Nothin’ to do with the “Ice Queen” crack?’ Dean asked innocently.

Castiel stiffened and threw Dean a glare. ‘In certain situations, I am referred to as “Ice” over the radio,’ he said. ‘Gabriel felt the need to add his own flare to it.’

‘It stuck didn’t it?’ Sam said empathetically. He had had more than his fair share of unfortunate code names over the years.

Castiel nodded and reached down to stop Dean’s hand from the journey it was making down his chest.

‘Better _moose_ than _squirrel_ ,’ Dean grumbled.

‘Moose and…oh! I’ve seen that! I _like_ Rocky. What do you find wrong with him?’ Castiel said with a confused frown.

‘Not to be a douche that quotes songs, but uh, Cas? Shut up and kiss me.’

.-.-.-.-.  
One Year Later  
.-.-.-.-.

Dean clutched his thigh as he settled behind an overturned table. It was supposed to be a simple, in-and-out job. Get in, grab the disc, get out. So much for that. Now, he was pegged down in the dining room of Ms. Skrims’s mansion.

He reloaded his gun and clenched his eyes shut. Bullets flew over his head, and he took a few quick breaths. He breathed out slowly, rested his weight on his unharmed leg, and pushed himself over the table during a lull in the gunfire. He took aim and frowned at the sight before him.

Castiel stared back a Dean. Bloodied bodies were scattered around him, and he currently held a man by the neck. His hand was frozen halfway, knife poised to dive into the man’s gut.

‘Come on!’ Dean shouted as he limped out from behind the table. He raised his gun and shot the man Castiel held in the head. ‘I had it under control.’

Castiel looked at the table Dean had been hiding behind. It was riddled with bullets. He raised his brow at Dean. ‘Yes, I can see that.’

Dean rolled his eyes and safetied his gun before stuffing it into the holster around his chest. ‘Fine. Whatever. Gimme a hand. I’ve been shot.’

‘I know.’

‘Of course you do,’ Dean muttered. ‘I still need to get…’ He trailed off as Castiel handed him an unlabeled disk. He growled as he snatched it away. ‘Stop doing my job for me!’

‘You were preoccupied. I thought I would help.’

‘Yeah, well…keep this up, and you’ll be on our payroll.’

Castiel pulled Dean’s arm over his shoulder. He ran his hand over Dean’s rear before resting it on a hip. ‘You passed a Thai restaurant this morning,’ he said as they made their way to the entrance of the building. ‘I thought we might try that for dinner. The restaurant is clean, and the employees have passed the background check.’

‘You guys are fucking obsessive. You know that, right?’ Dean said as they passed a man guarding the foyer. He nodded to the agent and received a smirk. ‘Shut up, Uriel.’

The past year had been weird for Sam and Dean. Especially for Dean. Castiel had never left his side during his recovery. But the moment Dean was given the all clear, Castiel had vanished for a week. At first, Dean thought that he had been dumped. Then the news reports and rumors came in. The organization that had captured and tortured him had been uprooted and hunted down. The effort had been so well-coordinated that Dean had no doubt in his mind that Castiel and the other ‘angels’ had been planning it since his hospitalization.

Castiel returned and they fell into an easy rhythm. Dean would go about his day and do his job, not once catching sight of Castiel. He knew Castiel was there, watching. Every time he got in a little over his head, the man turned up and would tip the balance in his favor. It worked out pretty well.

The only downside that turned up was when Castiel began blacklisting restaurants and stores. His excuses ran form ties to the mob, to roach infestation, to ‘that waitress is suspicious.’

The latter of which was happening at the Thai restaurant. Castiel kept throwing the pretty waitress glares. It took everything Dean had to not laugh.

‘Dude, it’s okay,’ Dean said softly as he took Castiel’s hand.

‘She’s being overly friendly with you,’ Castiel replied.

‘It’s her job. She’s being _friendly_ with you, too.’

Castiel huffed and stared at his plate. ‘I hadn’t noticed,’ he grudgingly admitted.

Dean smiled and squeezed Castiel’s hand. ‘I know. I get a kick outta watching people try to flirt with you,’ he said. He leaned over the table and lightly kissed Castiel’s lips. ‘I love that you only have eyes for me.’ Another kiss.

Castiel smiled shyly at Dean. ‘That is rather sweet of you, Dean.’

Dean slumped back into his chair and rolled his eyes. He picked up the glass of wine sitting in front of him. ‘Yeah, yeah. Just don’t tell anyone.’

‘I don’t need to. Everyone I know is already listening.’

Dean choked on his drink and stared at Castiel. ‘What?!’ he wheezed. ‘Cas, we talked about this! That’s weird and creepy, and you…you don’t… Oh, God… Don’t tell me you bugged the hotel room.’

Castiel smirked and sipped at his wine.

Dean buried his head in his hands. ‘Fuck… I can’t tell if you’re lying! C’mon!’

‘I only do it because I love you.’

Dean sighed and looked up at Castiel. ‘Yeah, and I let you do it ‘cuz I love you, too.’ The beaming smile he received was worth the creepy stalker vibe Castiel never seemed to be able to shake. Dean promised himself that if anyone _was_ listening in on them…he was going to give them a performance they would not forget.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As requested: What about Sam and Gabriel?

Sam set the unconscious agent onto the hospital bed and stepped back.  Dean and Castiel were in the room next door. Dean was high as a kite and unable to keep his hands to himself, and Castiel was doing his best to keep Dean entertained and distracted enough to keep him from picking at his bandages. He would have just left them like that, but Castiel had asked him to take Gabriel with him and keep an eye on the agent.

‘You may need to search him,’ Castiel suggested as Sam picked Gabriel up. ‘Thoroughly.’

‘You like ’em _short_. That one’s gotta be better’n Ruby. Strip ‘im to his skivvies and do a cavity search,’ Dean added with a giggle. ‘Tha’s a good idea… Wanna play T… T… Airplane strip search? Mmm…’ He sucked on Castiel’s fingers while moaning.

Sam sighed as he stared down at Gabriel. Asleep, the agent looked sweet and innocent. It was a drastic change from the playful smile. Now that Dean was safe and no one was threatening him, he could take the moment to appreciate how the man looked. Soft, golden hair, lightly tanned skin, perfectly manicured nails… The agent definitely took care of himself. A far cry from Castiel’s mussed hair, five o’clock shadow, and ragged nails. There was something else… He could have sworn he’d seen the man before. He shrugged the thought away, believing that he had probably seen the agent in the background on occasion.

He may as well take Castiel’s advice and search Gabriel. Not one pocket held a single weapon. He did, however, find a bag of Skittles, a half-eaten candy bar, and plenty of the small suckers hospitals handed out to children. A quick pat-down revealed some suspicious lumps hidden by the baggy scrubs.

He removed Gabriel’s lab coat and pushed up his top and stared slack-jawed at the sight. He had been expecting the holster and guns, but not the handful of small explosives and detonator taped to Gabriel’s stomach. He ran a finger over a scar that rested near Gabriel’s heart. After removing the weapons and setting them aside, he turned Gabriel over and checked his back. Another small gun and a couple spare magazines greeted him, each carrying the delicate wings marking them as Angel Corp property.

Even Gabriel had a set of wings tattooed onto the small of his back. Sam grimaced at the thought that Gabriel and Castiel were probably no more than property to the agency.

He turned Gabriel back over and began removing his shoes. As he removed the first shoe, a small blade shot out from the toe, startling him. He turned the shoe over in his hand, giving it a disbelieving stare. He wondered if the other one had a phone in it. He tossed it aside and carefully removed the second before pulling Gabriel’s pants off.

‘Seriously?!’

Gabriel’s legs were covered in tape and holsters. From what little skin that showed, Sam could tell the other agent must have waxed his legs. Piece by piece, Sam removed knives, guns, bullets, darts, small needles, a _spoon_ , more lollipops, a small, fully stuffed envelope…

He opened the envelope and peeked inside. He frowned as he tugged out a photograph. It took him a moment to realize who it was. It was a photo of him sitting on a bench, eating lunch in front of the agency’s main building. He turned it over to find very precise handwriting declaring what he was eating. He dumped the rest of the photographs onto the bed and stared at countless pictures of himself. Most were of him in public spaces, but there were a few where he was changing. One was of him pulling his shirt over his head. Little hearts were drawn around him and an arrow pointed at his abs.

He had his own stalker-angel. He didn’t know what to think. He turned over another photo to find a badly written poem on the back.

_Roses are red, violets are blue, bubblegum is pink, Samuel’s hair is amazing._

Each picture had either a description of what was going on or another bad attempt at poetry.

He didn’t know if he should be upset, flattered, or embarrassed for Gabriel. He recalled what Dean had told him about what Bobby had said about the Angel Corp agents. He couldn’t bring himself to be angry at Gabriel. The way Dean had made it sound, and from the way Castiel acted, the agents didn’t really understand what was and was not socially acceptable or expected.

With that thought, he tugged down Gabriel’s boxers to get to the rest of the tape and weapons. Gabriel’s pubic hair was very neatly groomed. Sam shook his head and smiled as he removed the last holster that rested about his hips. He replaced Gabriel’s clothes and settled on the chair next to the door. He pulled out his phone and pulled up a book.

An hour had passed before Gabriel finally stirred. Sam looked up as Gabriel groaned and rolled over. In an instant, Gabriel shot up, frantically patting himself. He patted his legs then pulled his right pant leg over his knee, making a panicked whine. ‘No… Where is it?!’

‘What are you looking for?’ Sam asked, remembering where he had found the envelope.

Gabriel gasped, and he slowly looked over his shoulder.  He blushed brightly and pushed his pant leg back down. ‘N-nothing!’ He hopped off the bed and stumbled as he turned to face Sam. ‘My stuff. You took my stuff!’ he shouted accusingly, pointing at Sam.

Sam frowned. He could recall a similar situation, but he was certain he had never seen Gabriel before the other day. He set his phone on his chair as he stood.

‘S-stay there. Don’t… Don’t come closer,’ Gabriel said, crouching behind the bed. He stared up at Sam with wide eyes. He felt naked. He had nothing to protect himself with. He looked about the room, and his eyes fell on the small pile of his belongings sitting next to Sam’s chair. Poking out just near the top was what he wanted most. Maybe Sam would give it back without any fuss? Did he look at it? He didn’t seem angry… The subjects of his collections were usually very upset when they found out about his pictures.

He was eighteen when he obsessed over a young agent known as ‘Kali.’ It was great. They had passion. And then she found his collection of photos of her. He thought it better that she thought he was dead.

Gabriel bit his lip as the thought of his photo collection popped in his mind. He was really regretting his plan for getting Castiel laid. He had never thought it would have backfired like this. He sunk to the floor as Sam came a little closer. ‘Stay _there_! Stop…stop coming closer! Leave me alone!’

Sam frowned at Gabriel as he stopped moving. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked. ‘Gabriel?’ His brows rose in surprise as Gabriel’s cheeks flushed brightly before he hid his face behind the bed.

Gabriel gripped the edge of the bed tightly. Sam’s voice was amazing on its own, but hearing Sam say his name was better than he had thought it would be. As much as he wanted Sam to throw him over the hospital bed and have his wicked way with him, Gabriel knew his chances were nonexistent. Sam didn’t remember the first time they had actually met. Castiel may have had a chance with Dean, but those two had mutual attraction going on. Dean and Castiel had history. Him and Sam? Maybe Sam thought he was attractive, but… He had punched him and pointed a gun at him! That was no way to start a relationship. Normal people didn’t do that. He knew that much from watching TV shows and movies.

Why couldn’t one of his fellow angels have been there instead? He had _nothing_ on him. The only way that was possible was if Sam had stripped him down completely. Gabriel pressed his forehead into the side of the mattress and groaned miserably. He felt so vulnerable and turned on. He gasped when a hand touched his own. He glanced up at Sam. ‘Can I go?’

‘So…are you assigned to me?’ Sam asked.

Gabriel shook his head and looked down. He had submitted his application to be Sam’s guardian several times over, but each time Chuck had just stared at him evenly before stamping it and handing it back. It was the only reason Chuck owned a stamp that read ‘DENIED.’

Sam frowned, and his eyes flicked to where the envelope sat, nestled in the small pile of Gabriel’s belongings. If Gabriel wasn’t assigned to him, then why did the agent have so many pictures of him? ‘Um… Gabriel?’

Gabriel forced a smile as he looked up at Sam. ‘Yeah?’

‘Why…’ Sam trailed off, uncertain of how he should broach the subject. ‘Never mind.’

Gabriel anxiously tapped his fingers on the bed. ‘Can I…can I get my stuff back?’ he asked.

Sam stood and backed away. He watched as Gabriel scuttled around the bed, not once letting go of it. As Gabriel reached the other side of the bed, he eyed the distance to the pile. He clutched his scrubs and hugged them tightly around himself before quickly hopping over to the pile. He crouched next to it and snatched up the envelope then stuffed it into his front pocket. He picked up a gun next then stood, looking much more confident than before.

‘Right! So, _you’re_ going to sit there and be a good boy,’ Gabriel declared. ‘ _I’m_ going to check on Cas.’

‘He’s with Dean,’ Sam replied with an amused smile.

Gabriel blinked at Sam. ‘Oh? Uh…they’re doing all right?’ Sam nodded, and Gabriel frowned uncertainly. ‘Are you sure? He’s not just faking it?’

‘No, last I saw, he was stroking Dean’s hair to keep him still.’

‘Okay… That’s…good?’ Gabriel chewed on his lip as he stuck his gun in the back of his pants. It didn’t seem like Sam was lying. His memories were a little fuzzy on the moments before Castiel had shot him. He stepped up to the bed and grabbed a pillow. He removed the pillow sham and went back to his pile. Looking over his shoulder at Sam, he stuffed everything into the sham. He quickly looked away and stood.

‘So, I’ll see you later?’ Sam said. He kept from laughing as Gabriel jumped and turned, a sucker sticking out of his mouth.

‘Sure…uh… You wouldn’t mind?’ Gabriel shifted from foot to foot. Sam wanted to see him again? He gave a slight grin and stepped forward. He wouldn’t need to submit an application if Sam actually _wanted_ to see him.

Sam gave a shrug. He probably shouldn’t be inviting Gabriel into his life like this, but he found the way the man would switch from overly confident to absolutely uncertain and lost endearing. ‘Just…don’t show up unannounced.’

Gabriel nodded happily. ‘I can do that!’

.-.-.-.-.

A payphone rang as Sam passed it. He sighed and made his way to the ringing phone. He took a breath before answering it. ‘Hello, Gabriel.’

‘Sammy! You get a choice between brats and uh…ooh! A pretzel! I’ll just bring both.’

Sam shook his head fondly. For the past three months, Gabriel had kept his word and called each time before showing up with food.  ‘That sounds great.’

By the time he reached his hotel room, Gabriel was already inside, meticulously arranging the table. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms as he watched. Gabriel was wearing what Sam had come to know as his normal attire of loose jeans and a green coat. He laughed quietly as Gabriel lined up the placemats with a small ruler.

Gabriel straightened and held the ruler behind his back, blushing lightly. ‘Oh, you’re early!’

‘I ran,’ Sam replied.

‘Well, it couldn’t’ve been a full sprint. I have you clocked at…uh… I have food,’ Gabriel trailed off, pointing to the small kitchenette. He grabbed a large paper bag from the counter and pulled out several boxes. ‘Have a seat!’

Sam sat at the small table and propped his elbows on the table. He smirked at the indignant grunt that came from behind him. ‘Something wrong?’ he asked innocently.

‘No,’ Gabriel quickly denied as he set a plate with a bratwurst and pretzel in front of Sam, centering it on the placemat. He did the same with a second plate on the other side of the table. ‘No, no, no, no… Um…’ He eyed Sam’s elbows momentarily before drifting back to the counter. He returned and set a couple beers on the table, turning the labels to face the chairs.

He sat at the empty seat with his hands in his lap. ‘Sam… Can you uh… How was your day?’

Sam picked up a bratwurst while keeping one elbow propped on the table. ‘Well, I’ve just been assigned to be Jo’s backup until Dean’s fully recovered,’ he replied. He took a bite and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Gabriel cringed. ‘So…you and Jo… You guys are close?’

‘Close as you can get.’

Gabriel sagged. ‘Oh. That’s good.’

Sam kept from laughing and took pity on Gabriel. ‘We sorta grew up together. She’s like a little sister.’

Gabriel brightened up considerably.

‘What have _you_ been up to lately?’ Sam asked.

‘Yesterday, I infiltrated a TV station!’ Gabriel said excitedly. ‘If you watch the next episode of _Woodland Tree Team_ , I’m Captain Coyote. I got to dance around with all the other critters. Then I took photos of the cast in compromising positions.’

‘Sounds like you had fun,’ Sam commented.

‘Surveillance and blackmail are the _best_ gigs!’

‘Surveillance, huh?’ Sam had been trying, albeit unsuccessfully, to get Gabriel to confess to having his personal collection of Sam-centric photos. ‘Take any good pictures lately?’

Gabriel grinned happily. ‘Oh, I’ll say!’

‘What of?’ Sam asked as he went back to having both elbows on the table.

Gabriel’s grin faltered. ‘Um…the Tree Team double teaming? Sam…could you…er…’

‘What do you do with the pictures?’

‘Er…depends… If we were hired to get them, we give the pictures to the client,’ Gabriel replied. He shifted in his seat. ‘Do you…um…’

‘You don’t keep any of them?’

‘We keep the negatives. Look, Sam… How should I put this?’ Gabriel’s dropped to a mumble.

‘What about me and Dean? Any pictures of us?’

Gabriel’s mouth snapped shut, and he laughed nervously, blushing. ‘No, of course not. Why would we have anything like that?!’

‘Well, _we_ keep photos of everyone we get involved with. Clients, targets…associates… Helps keep track of everyone and everything,’ Sam explained. ‘Don’t wanna accidentally think that someone’s an enemy. I’ve got a picture of you in my file as a known contact.’

‘Just one?’

‘That’s all that’s needed.’

‘Oh… What about different angles? Wouldn’t that be uh…helpful?’

‘If you ask Dean, then yes,’ Sam said, rolling his eyes. ‘His file’s turning into a photo album of him and Cas. He’s…taken up scrapbooking.’

‘So…that’s not weird?’ Gabriel asked in a careful tone.

‘Depends.’

‘On what?’

‘Why’s it matter?’

Gabriel made a frustrated noise. ‘Well… If I had, hypothetically, a small, very small…’

Sam crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward.

Gabriel let out an annoyed growl. ‘Will you stop that?!’

‘Huh?’ Sam leaned back in surprise.

‘Get your elbows off the table!’

‘Does this annoy you?’ Sam asked sweetly.

‘Yes! Oh, my, God! You’re worse than Balthazar!’ Gabriel shouted. ‘At least _he_ uses a napkin!’

Sam smiled as he removed his arms from the table. ‘Better?’

Gabriel eyed Sam in suspicion. ‘Yes. Thank you.’

‘Now, as you were saying?’

Gabriel frowned, keeping a close eye on Sam’s arms. ‘Yes, well…pictures.’ He picked up his beer and took a long swig. If Dean was collecting photos of Castiel, then it couldn’t be _that_ strange. ‘I collect them?’

‘What sort of pictures?’

Gabriel bit his lip and rubbed his neck. He liked Sam, and he figured Sam liked him as well. The taller man would smile at him, laugh at his jokes, and offer to get dessert. Even Chuck was tolerating his relationship with Sam. That was a good sign, right?

‘You don’t happen to have a knife on you, do you?’ he asked.

Sam shook his head and frowned in confusion as Gabriel held his beer like a shield.

‘I _may_ have a few pictures of you…’ Gabriel slowly lowered his beer when Sam only raised an amused brow. ‘When I say “a few,” I mean 1628.’

‘That’s more than a few,’ Sam pointed out. He wondered where Gabriel kept them. There were about twenty in the envelope. ‘When did you start…collecting them?’

Gabriel set his beer on the table. So far, so good. He gave a tentative smile. ‘Uh… Five years ago? It was your twenty-first birthday, and Dean took you drinking. They called in some extra angels to keep you guys safe, and that’s when I first saw you,’ he said fondly. He looked down when Sam’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘I was assigned to be your waiter.’

Sam had absolutely no recollection of his birthday party, just a name: Trixie. Dean had said he had _really_ liked Trixie. There had been pinching and kissing. Dean had been vague, at best. Apparently, Trixie had been dragged away by the bouncer before they got too involved. ‘Uh…what happened?’

Gabriel’s eyes flicked up. Sam didn’t look angry. Not yet, at least. ‘I brought you some drinks and appetizers. You were really amused by my nametag, and uh…you were very friendly. At first, it was just part of the job, but…then you pulled me on your lap and kissed me. And it was…it was really nice.’

‘Trixie?’ Sam asked weakly.

Gabriel looked up and smiled widely. ‘You remember me?’

Sam slowly shook his head. ‘Sorry… I just know what Dean told me.’

Gabriel pouted as he slouched forward. ‘Oh…’

That certainly explained why Sam thought he had seen Gabriel before, and why Gabriel had become fixated on him. ‘He said we really hit it off…’

‘It’s why I kept applying to be assigned to you,’ Gabriel said dejectedly. ‘But I’m “needed elsewhere”,’ he said in a snotty voice, making air quotes.

‘But you’re allowed to do…this?’ Sam asked, gesturing to the table.

‘I haven’t been told to stop. What I do in my spare time is my business. As long as I get my assignments done, I can do whatever.’ Gabriel chewed on his lower lip as he stared at Sam. ‘Is this…is this okay? Do you want me to stop?’

Sam leaned back in his chair and stared at Gabriel. He watched as Gabriel fidgeted under his gaze, straightening his placemat and utensils.  His mind supplied an image of Gabriel constantly replacing drinks onto coasters and shaking a finger at him. Until Sam grabbed his hand and wrapped his mouth around the accusing finger.

He shifted his gaze to Gabriel’s hands, busy with turning the beer bottle to face forward. He reached out and took Gabriel’s hand in his.

Gabriel gasped and watched, transfixed, as Sam pulled his hand toward his mouth. He didn’t breath, afraid he would startle Sam. A soft moan escaped his lips as Sam slowly licked his finger. He had to get up and move around the table as Sam pulled him closer. His breath came in short rasps as Sam pulled him onto his lap. His voice waivered as he tried to speak. ‘S-Sam…?’

‘Shh.’ Sam pulled Gabriel forward and lightly kissed his lips. ‘I think I do remember a little…’

Gabriel yelped as Sam squeezed his ass. Ginning widely, he giggled and leaned forward to kiss Sam. He clutched tightly to Sam’s shirt as he felt them start to tip over. Sam grunted beneath him as they hit the floor. ‘Sorry,’ he said with a breathless laugh.

Sam shook his head and laughed before reaching up to pull Gabriel back down.


End file.
